Day 15

Although Sunday is travel day, we're on an evening flight and don't leave the island until 16:30. A crafted email to our otherwise unknown Hayes & Jarvis rep soon arranges a late departure from our room, so we actually get to spend the majority of the day doing normal things around the island, diving excepted of course, there has to be 24 hours between diving and flying. 

We have our traditional 'going home' lunch of Nasi Goreng, an Indonesia dish best likened to special fried rice with fried egg on top. Wonderful! We have the restaurant to ourselves as the boys at Asian Wok open especially for us. 

Then it's one last walk back along the beach in bare-feet before a quick pack and last walk back to reception, happy but sad nevertheless. We took the opportunity to visit the Maldives Mueum that has been built since our last visit, which is a very nice showcase of Maldivian culture and a little bit of history (our 'protectorate' period gets one mention!)

Reflecting a little as we wait, we've clocked up some good experiences this holiday, excellent snorkelling, a few miles round island (The Hubby 175 miles, me 121,) great dives, good food, met a few very nice guests, and some lovely staff.

It's a bigger boat back than the one we came in and the journey is a bit quicker, however enclosed - I'd rather have taken the slow-boat to get one last open-air experience, but hey ho! 

Now sat on the plane, listening out for the prayer that signals our preparation to depart for Abu Dhabi. We're delayed as there are several incoming planes - Male only has one runway, which doubles as the taxiway too, so each plane must land, then back-track along the runway, before the next can come. We have to drive right to the end, throw a 180 then hurtle back up past the terminal to take off. 

And of course the very sad news I've already talked about. There is now some confusion about the identities, some say it was a a young couple travelling with one set of their parents, others now say it was the father and son. I do know that both bodies were receovered on Saturday so either way it's a tradgedy for the remaining family members.